Ichigo's Hollow
by blackkittydown
Summary: Zangetsu isn't working, for some reason, and Ichigo's hollow takes over him in a fight with an arrancar.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I really, really wish I owned Bleach. Honestly. But I don't, regrettably.

"Kurosaki-san?" Urahara inquired politely, peering at Ichigo's face. Ichigo, however, averted his gaze to stare at his zanpaktou, wondering why it refused to obey him. He tried again.

"Getsuga Tenshou!" He screamed, aiming his sword at a mountain in the big training area under Urahara's shop. Nothing happened, however, and he was left standing stupidly in the middle of the large training complex holding his zanpaktou out.

He let his grip on it sag slightly, and lowered it till the tip touched the floor. Zangetsu was not obeying him lately, and this time, as soon as he had set his sword down, a burst of blue power erupted out of the tip of his zanpaktou and blasted a huge crater in the middle of the ground. Ichigo sighed and picked it up, sliding it into its sheath and walking away. Something was wrong with Zangetsu.

That night, Ichigo was woken up rudely by Rukia's gloved hand smashing into his face and letting his body slump limply onto the floor.

"Wake up!" She shouted at him in his sleepy shinigami form. "There's a minor arrancar just 5 kilometers away!"

Ichigo blinked and tried to keep his eyes open, but found it quite impossible and was just starting to sink into slumber again when they reached the arrancar. He took one sleepy look at it and his eyes shot open. Spinning around, he grabbed Rukia and shook her.

"That's not a minor arrancar!" He gabbled quickly. "That's too big! That's- that's- that's an espada! A HUGE ELEPHANT ESPADA!!!"

"Relax." Rukia placed her hand on his arm and twisted it, making him drop her to the ground. "It should be no problem."

A sudden thought struck Ichigo. 'She doesn't know my problems with Zangetsu.' He turned to her.

"Rukia…" he began, but she screamed "WATCH OUT!" and forced him aside, drawing her white zanpaktou as she did so. Leaping into the air, she parried the blows aimed at her by the arrancar, and then proceeded to slash it on the arm. The arrancar, a massive monster resembling a large bull, roared and clipped her with the sheath of its zanpaktou, sending her flying. Rukia landed lightly and sprinted over to Ichigo.

"Ichigo!" She yelled, "come on!"

Ichigo swallowed and decided to give it a go. Leaping at the arrancar like Rukia had, he aimed at its head but found himself tossed aside almost effortlessly as the arrancar hit him with its sheath. He aimed his sword and screamed

"Getsuga Tenshou!" As he had predicted, nothing happened, so he landed and ran towards the arrancar. He swung his sword around so that he held it out in front of him and screamed

"BANKAI!"

Unexpectedly, it worked and his reiatsu flared, his robes changing to tattered black with a blood red lining. He tried again, yelling "Getsuga Tenshou!" As he ran, but still nothing happened. However, he used his speed to shunpo to the back of the arrancar and land a hit on its shoulder, leaving a large gash. Smiling thinly, he raced again to the front of the arrancar, cutting its leg as he went. Jumping into the air in front of the arrancar, he was fully prepared to slash it down the middle of its head, killing it, but once again Zangetsu failed him.

His eyes widened as he felt his speed diminish and lessen until the arrancar noticed him and used its zanpaktou to give him a large gash on his shoulder. Ichigo landed on the concrete, blood flowing freely from his wound, his robes plain shinigami robes once again.

Rukia frowned from the sidelines, wondering why Ichigo had suddenly reverted back to his normal shinigami state at the most inappropriate time. She decided to interfere and charged forward with her own zanpaktou, wounding the arrancar here and there. Suddenly, however, she was hit hard in the back by the flat of its zanpaktou and went flying yet again. Everything would have been fine if she hadn't hit her head on the telephone pole she landed against. It knocked her out, and she slumped to the floor, comatose.

Ichigo looked up to see Rukia get knocked out cold, and, determined to protect his friend, he stood up and yelled

"BANKAI!"

His robes changed again, but as he charged for the arrancar, he felt his speed lessening again until he was in his normal shinigami state again.

"Damn!" He cursed, skidding to a halt, panting hard, sweat running into his eyes. He blinked hard. He was unable to keep his form in bankai for more than a few seconds now. He swore and tried again, with the same result.

Looking up, he realized that the arrancar was charging towards, him, zanpaktou held up high.

"DAMN, DAMN, DAMN!!" Ichigo yelled at nobody in particular, only to hear a voice in his head whisper to him.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance, _king_." The tone his hollow self used was mocking, and Ichigo started to panic as the all too familiar blackness started to steal its way across his vision.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! Please, please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I would REALLY REALLY love to own Bleach. You know what I would also like to own? A horse. And two big dogs. Oh yes, and don't forget a huge mansion with a swimming pool. But I don't own any of those. And I don't own Bleach.

A/N: Sorry sorry sorry sorry if I took too long to update, but I was kinda busy with lots of homework! Enjoy, anyway!

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"Perhaps I can be of assistance, _king_." The tone his hollow self used was mocking, and Ichigo started to panic as the all too familiar blackness started to steal its way across his vision.

"No, no, I don't need you…" His voice faded away as his hollow self took over Ichigo's body. Rukia shook herself awake to find Ichigo standing there doing nothing. The arrancar, however, had dodged behind him and was now getting ready to attack. Raising the massive zanpaktou above its head, it gathered its reiatsu and swung it downwards.

Without warning, Ichigo spun and blocked the attack effortlessly, twisting his own zanpaktou ever so slightly so that the zanpaktou of the arrancar went spinning to the opposite side of the road. He laughed, and the ruthless cold sound sent shivers up and down Rukia's spine. She had never before seen Ichigo's hollow form, but she saw it now and it frightened her greatly. He turned to her and she gasped as she spotted his yellow pupils and black eyes, her own moving over his face and taking in the red and white patterned hollow mask.

The arrancar was slightly stunned but quickly regained its composure. Not quick enough for Ichigo, however. With one swift movement, the hollow Ichigo (A/N: _I don't know its name, but never mind about that__…_ sliced off one of the arrancar's arms. Blood flowing from the wound, it roared in pain and hollow Ichigo took the chance to cut it cleanly through the head, killing it.

"Ichigo!" Rukia screamed from the side, hoping that now he would return back to his normal form, but he didn't. Instead, he turned to her.

"So…" the hollow Ichigo smirked slightly, the mask covering half of its face still growing, its double-edged voice laced with malice. "who's next?"

Rukia shuddered and put her hand on the hilt of her zanpaktou, readying herself for any surprise attacks. After all, this was not the normal Ichigo.

"Naughty." The hollow Ichigo stuck out one clawed hand and shook a finger disapprovingly at her, though the glee in its eyes still showed. In a heartbeat, it was behind her, sword at her neck. "No surprises." It said.

Rukia frowned and tried to shunpo away, but to her surprise found herself held still with one cold hand.

"No moving, either." Hollow Ichigo added to its earlier statements.

"Ichigo…" Rukia begged. "Come back."

"Aaah, talking to my _King_, now, are you?" the hollow Ichigo grinned. "I'm afraid he's locked up… here." It said happily, tapping the side of its head. "Now now, I'm gonna have to kill you cause you're too annoying, so stand still…" he shunpoed in front of her.

There was a shout of

"Ichigo!"

And with a billow of shinigami robes, Kurosaki Ishiin landed between the two.

"Stand back, Kuchiki-san." He said lightly, before drawing his own zanpaktou to do battle with his own son.

Rukia stood back, and the fighting began.

With clashing of zanpaktous and grunts and shouts of "Bankai" and the occasional "Kuroi Getsuga" and (_A/N: Insert whatever you think Ishiin's Shikai would be here._), Hollow Ichigo and Kurosaki Ishiin battled back and forth on the empty road, while Rukia watched on, praying that neither side would get killed. With one last effort, Ishiiin pinned his son to the ground (A/N: _though he actually wasn't really his son, just his son __…__ possessed, if I can put it that way._). Hollow Ichigo attempted to push himself upright again, but Ishiin placed the tip of his zanpaktou against the nearly fully formed hollow mask and pushed with all his might. Rukia gasped and with a loud cracking noise the mask was rented apart and Ichigo's stunned face appeared.

The yellow and black colour in Ichigo's eyes slowly faded and he stared at his father in sudden concern.

"Oto-san?" He muttered, confused. Then,

"OTO-SAN! YOU ARE A SHINIGAMI!?"

Ishiin chuckled. "Yes, son, what a lovely surprise!" He clapped his hands together, his old silly self back.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME, YOU CRAZY OLD MAN?"

"Well- let's see about that, I really don't know." Ishiin tapped his chin thoughtfully with a finger.

"I COULD HAVE KILLED YOU STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID!-"

"Now now my dear son." Ishiin interrupted his son's line of "stupid"'s. "Don't be hasty to judge your poor, unloved father." At this sentence, big fat tears started rolling unchecked down his cheeks.

"Ugh. Stupid. Get off me." Ichigo threw his father off him and walked down the road. Injured, he stumbled, and Ishiin grabbed his arm and supported him.

"Let's go home." He said gently. Ichigo summoned up just enough power to punch him weakly in the face.

Then the three of them, Ichigo, Ishiin, and Rukia, walked – Home.

A/N: Ugh, curse my writing… I hate the ending. Anyway, review


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